Perricone MD Skincare- High Potency Classics Intensive Trio- Nutritive Cleanser, Growth Factor Firming & Lifting Serum Hyaluronic Intensive Moisturiser Review

I have been sent the Perricone MD High Potency Classics Trio to try out and review for you. If you’re interested in Perricone skincare, you might also want to read my review of the lovely No Makeup Makeup range.

Perricone is a very famous name in skincare, Dr Nicholas Perricone was one of the original proponents of cosmeceutical skincare. He has written several books, including The Wrinkle Cure and The Perricone Promise: Look Younger Live Longer in Three Easy Steps, all about how to stay young for as long as possible. Perricone skincare contains some unusual skincare ingredients, that I’m really interested to try. In this post I’m going to examine the ingredient lists and see what each product has going on.

About Perricone MD skincare-

• Perricone MD is a holistic, three-tier skincare and wellness system. This consists of diet, essential dietary supplements and potent topical skincare solutions backed by powerful ingredients, innovative research and extensive clinical and consumer studies
• 52 skincare products with an emphasis on anti aging
• Price range £37-£411, the High Potency Classics Intensive Trio costs £72 (worth £134)
• Available from Ulta, Selfridges, Fenwick, John Lewis and Perriconemd.co.uk

I have the High Potency Classics Intensive Trio to review. This includes small sizes of the Perricone MD Nutritive Cleanser 59ml / 2fl oz, Growth Factor Firming & Lifting Serum 15ml / 0.5 fl oz and a full size Hyaluronic Intensive Moisturiser 30ml / 1 fl oz.

The links in this post are affiliate, which means that if you click the link and spend, then you will be supporting my blog. The products are gifted which does not affect my opinion.

Perricone Nutritive Cleanser Review

Full size £33 for 177ml / 6fl oz

Ingredients list– Water/Aqua/Eau, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Lauryl Glucoside, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Coco/Isostearamide, Dimethyl MEA, Thioctic Acid, Fragrance/Parfum, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Copper Gluconate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol

Notable ingredients run through-

• Sodium Laureth Sulphate– aka SLES, a foaming agent, it’s less irritating and drying than it’s sister SLS.
• Cocomidopropyl Betaine, Lauryl Glucoside, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Coco/Isostearamide– Mild foaming ingredients
• Dimethyl MEA– also known as DMAE, There is some scientific research to show that DMAE actually firms the skin by toning the facial muscles (Grossman, 2005). It also acts as an antioxidant which we know helps prevent sun related aging
• Thioctic Acid– aka Alpha Lipoic Acid is a molecule that naturally occurs in the skin. There is some evidence that ALA can help with lines and other signs of aging (Matsugo et al, 2011). It’s also an antioxidant
• Magnesium Aspartate– for skin conditioning
• Copper and Zinc Gluconate– Help kill bacteria and increase skin healing

Nutritive Cleanser come in an attractive matte brown tube. It’s a water based clear foaming gel cleanser. If you have read my mega post on cleansers, you will know that water based foaming cleansers are good for oily skins or as a second cleanser after removing heavy makeup or sunscreen with an oil based product. This Perricone cleanser has a gentle foam and a quite pronounced powdery smell. I’m famously not a big lover of fragrance in skincare. It’s not so much of a big problem in cleanser as it’s going to be rinsed off, but if you are eczema prone or very sensitive to perfume this one might not be for you as the smell is quite pronounced.

I like that there are nice skincare ingredients in the Nutritive cleanser. The Copper and Zinc Gluconate will help with blemish prone skin. I’m not sure if there will be much benefit from the DMAE and Alpha Lipoic as they will be rinsed off. I’m not a big user of foaming cleansers as my skin is quite fragile in general from using Tretinoin on a daily basis, but Nutritive Cleanser doesn’t leave my skin feeling overly tight or dry. Make sure you use a hydrating toner straight after cleansing to prevent any water loss.

Growth Factor Firming & Lifting Serum Review

Full size £113 for 59ml / 2 fl oz

Ingredients– Water/Aqua/Eau, Butylene Glycol, Heptyl Undecylenate, Lecithin, Alcohol Denat., Polymethyl Methacrylate, Niacinamide, Pentaerythrityl Adipate/ Caprate/Caprylate/Heptanoate, Phosphatidylcholine, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Hydrolyzed Egg Shell Membrane, Tricaprylin, Retinol, Tocopherol, BHT, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Dipropylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Spermidine, Sodium Polyacrylate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance/Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Citronellol, Benzyl Alcohol, Geraniol.

Ingredient analysis-

• Butylene Glycol– makes skincare fell nice
• Heptyl Undecylenate– a naturally derived moisturising ingredient
• Lecithin is a fantastic skin conditioner. It moisturises the skin, helps other ingredients absorb better and gives the product a lovely feel.
• Alcohol– helps skincare ingredients dissolve, can be drying
• Polymethyl Methacrylate– gives the skin a blurring effect and improves texture of the product
• Niacinamide– A well known and loved B Vitamin. Niacinamide is fantastic for skin. It helps with lines, dryness, inflammation, discolouration, you name it
• Pentaerythrityl Adipate/ Caprate/Caprylate/Heptanoate– A highly stable moisturising ingredient
• Phosphatidylcholine– A naturally occuring substance that helps other actives to absorb, it also helps support the skin barrier and speeds up healing
• Ascorbyl Palmitate– A Vitamin C derivative, works as an antioxidant
• Hydrolyzed Egg Shell Membrane– There is actually good research that ingesting Hydrolyzed Egg Shell Membrane can help improve the appearance of skin which is interesting (Kalman &Hewlings, 2020). In skincare, it works as a moisturiser.
• Tricaprylin– An emollient
• Retinol– A Vitamin A derivative that helps with aging, lines and sun damage
• Vitamin E– An antioxidant
• Spermidine– May help with barrier function

There are a lot of great ingredients here, this was the product I was really keen to try. There are lovely vitamins, emollients and barrier supportive ingredients. Unfortunately, Growth Factor Firming & Lifting Serum also contains a lot of fragrance which I’m not so keen on. I know a lot of people are perfectly happy with a perfumed product but my skin doesn’t love it unfortunately.

Growth Factor Firming & Lifting Serum comes in a nice matte brown glass pump bottle. The serum has a lovely gel texture and a slight yellow colour. As you apply, it blends to a liquid texture and feels beautifully emollient. It has a very strong fruity smell, it almost smells of mangoes. I haven’t been able to use it solidly to give it a good skin trial because of the perfume irritation, but short term I could see straight away that it plumped my skin and smoothed my fine lines.

Essentially Growth Factor Firming & Lifting Serum is a good serum, but it has a big drawback for me. If they did a fragrance free version that would be great.

Perricone Hyaluronic Intensive Moisturiser Review

Full Size £61 for 30ml / 2 fl oz

Ingredients– Water/Aqua/Eau, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Pentylene Gycol, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Squalane, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Benzyl Alcohol, Urea, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Bisabolol, Dimethyl MEA, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Phosphatidylcholine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Citric Acid, Allantoin, Hyaluronic Acid, Polysilicone-11, Triacetin, Xanthan Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Sodium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Serine, Sorbitol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Docosahexaenoic Acid, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Copper Gluconate.

Notable Ingredients-

• Dimethicone– A silicone which gives a silky feel and helps trap water into the skin
• Glycerin– A humectant which draws water to the skin
• Pentylene Gycol– Gives the product a silky feel
• Niacinamide– A B Vitamin with many proven anti aging effects
• Butylene Glycol– Gives skincare a pleasant slip
• Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride– A naturally derived emollient
• Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer– Creates a film and thickens the product
• Shea butter– A rich plant butter that moisturises and helps to trap water in the skin
• Squalane– A hydrocarbon derived from olives that moisturises and helps with skin healing
• Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate & Hyaluronic Acid– A Hyaluronic Acid derivative that hydrates the skin
• Urea– A natural moisturising factor produced by skin, it deeply moisturises and helps to exfoliate the skin
• Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate– A Vitamin C derivative, it may help with hyperpigmentation. It’s definitely an antioxidant, and the more antioxidants we can get on our skin the better. Antioxidants help prevent aging caused by free radicals
• Bisabolol– A skin soother derived from Chamomile
• Dimethyl MEA– Firms the skin by increasing muscle tone in the deep skin
• Phosphatidylcholine– A naturally occuring substance that helps other actives to absorb, it also helps support the skin barrier and speeds up healing
• Allantoin– Skin soothing
• Tocopheryl Acetate- Antioxidant
• Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract– Has a soothing and antioxidant effect
• Serine– An amino acid that helps moisturise and support the skin’s moisture barrier
• Docosahexaenoic Acid– A nourishing Omega-3 fatty acid
• Zinc Gluconate, Copper Gluconate– Give an antibacterial effect and help with skin healing

So many gorgeous ingredients! And no fragrance, yey!

Hyaluronic Intensive Moisturiser comes in a jar. This means that the product will inevitably be exposed to air every time you open the container, so you just need to make sure you use it up within it’s use by date- for this product that is 6 months after opening. It’s also best to use a small spoon or spatula to dispense the product so that you don’t introduce anything you shouldn’t.

The cream is oil free and has a rich gel texture. It feels lavish and hydrating, it absorbs well and doesn’t have any greasiness. I like to make sure that my skin is well hydrated before applying moisturiser so that the beneficial ingredients absorb well and the moisturiser has some hydration to trap in the skin. I think Hyaluronic Intensive Moisturiser would work well as a makeup primer as it has some silicone, it will give a good smooth base.

I think of the three Perricone skincare products I have tried, the Hyaluronic Intensive Moisturiser is my favourite. The ingredients are great, it makes my skin feel moisturised and comfortable and it has no fragrance.

References

Grossman, R. (2005). The role of dimethylaminoethanol in cosmetic dermatology. American journal of clinical dermatology, 6(1), 39-47.

Kalman, D. S., & Hewlings, S. (2020). The effect of oral hydrolyzed eggshell membrane on the appearance of hair, skin, and nails in healthy middle‐aged adults: A randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled clinical trial. Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 19(6), 1463-1472.

Seiichi Matsugo, Toshinori Bito & Tetsuya Konishi (2011) Photochemical stability of lipoic acid and its impact on skin ageing, Free Radical Research, 45:8, 918-924.